Forsyth Barr Stadium - Hawkins Construction

Hawkins was involved in delivering a number of building projects throughout New Zealand in readiness for Rugby World Cup 2011, but it was Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin that was at the very core of our efforts.

Built on 3.1 hectares of reclaimed land overlooking Otago Harbour, the new indoor stadium facility has a capacity for 30,000 fans for sporting events and more than 35,000 fans for concerts. Forsyth Barr Stadium is purpose-built as a highly versatile facility capable of hosting all kinds of business, entertainment, community and educational conferences and events.

Forsyth Barr Stadium is a project of many firsts. The ground-breaking facility will be New Zealand's first undercover stadium - as well as the country's largest indoor multipurpose arena. It is also be the world's largest, natural grass, permanently covered stadium, and the third largest ETFE roofed building in the world.

A key feature of the construction was the assembly and installation of the roof structure.

In May 2010 the main 130m steel truss, weighing 390 tonnes, was spectacularly lifted into place by a 400-tonne crane and two 280-tonne cranes. The 35-metre lift was the highest for such a weight (equivalent to three and a half Boeing 787-9s) ever undertaken in New Zealand. This truss is a prominent feature above the southern stand and supports the rest of roof structure, which consists of five arched trusses, each 101m long, 10m wide and up to 10m tall and weighing more than 200 tonnes.

Hawkins Construction reached practical completion on Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday July 22nd, 2011.

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